Lock



E. A. HILL LOCK Filed Dec. 19. 1923 Patented Jan 13, 1925,

ELERT A. HILL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFO RNIA. ASSIGNOR TO STO'P-BURGLAB LOCK COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFGRNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

LOCK.

Application filed December 1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELERT A. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention particularly pertains to a permutation lock of the rotary tumbler type in which the operation of a lock bolt in unlocking the lock is dependent upon the proper-positioning of a plurality of rotary locking tumblers, such for example as disclosed in my co-pending application filed January 13, 1922, Serial No. 529,064, and Letters Patent No. 1,480,759 issued January 15, 1924. In this type of lock the looking bolt is retained in retracted position in opposition to a tensioned spring by means of inter-engaging members between the bolt and ratchet tooth tumblers revolubly mounted on the bolt, which interengaging members are adapted, on proper positioning of the tumblers, to permit retraction of the bolt under action of the spring.

An object of this invention is to provide an auxiliar or supplemental means for holding the bolt in an advanced or locked position independent of the interengaging means between the tumblers and bolt, whereby on proper positioning of the tumblers. the bolt will be held against retraction until manually released, thereby obviating any possibility of the lock being unlocked by merely actuating the tumblers.

Another object is to provide a means whereby the tumbler mechanism will be locked against manual operation when the bolt is freed and subject to retraction by the spring, and which is operable to free the tumbler mechanism when the bolt is held against retraction by the auxiliary holding means.

A further object is to provide a means whereby retracting the bolt to its unlocked position will operate to turn a tumbler out of inlocking position so as to break the combination, whereby on again advancing the 9, 1923. Serial No. 681,642.

bolt, it will become necessary to operate the tumbler mechanism to unlock the lock.

With the foregoing objects in view, to gether with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, this invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the lock mechanism.

Figure 2 is a view of same as seen in rear elevation with parts broken away, showing the bolt in its advanced or looking position in full lines, and in its retracted position in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a detail in section and elevation as seen on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail in section and elevation as seen on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail in perspective illus trating the means for locking the tumbler mechanism against operation, showing the parts in disassociated relation.

More specifically, 6 indicates a face plate on the back of which is mounted a bearing block 7 in which is mounted a bolt 8 eX- tending parallel with the face plate 6. The bolt is formed at its inner end with a collar 9, and arranged between the collar and the end of the block 7 is a spring 10 which operates to normally maintain the bolt in a retracted position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. The block 7 is formed with a series of slots in which are disposed rotary tumblers 11 that are revolubly carried on the bolt 8, and mounted on each tumbler is a spring pressed pin 12 which extends into an annular channel 13 formed on the bolt. The upper face of the bolt is formed with a longitudinally extending channel 14, as shown in Figure 4, and the tumblers are adapted to be positioned so as to dispose the spring pressed pins 12 in alignment with the channel 14 to permit retraction of the bolt to its unlocking position; the bolt being held in its advanced or locked position in opposition to the spring 10 by the annular grooves 13 engaging the pin 12 of one or more of the tumblers 11 when the pin 12 is positioned out of alignment with the channel 14.

The tumblers 11 are formed with peripheral ratchet teeth 15, which are engaged by a spring pressed pawl 16 carried on a stem 17 mounted for reciprocalmovement at right angles tothe axis of rotation of the; tumblers. The stem 17 fitted with an extension18 which projects through the face plate 6 and constitutes a push button by which the stem may be manually advanced to effect rotation of the tumbler. A spring 19 is provided to normally maintain the stem 17 and the push button in an outermostjpo'sitio'n, indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4. There is a stem and extension provided for each of the tumblers 15. Any suitable number of tumblers and push buttons may be employed as occasion may require; I I

In the operation of the lock mechanism just. described, the rotary tumblers are actuated with step by step n'iovement by moving the extensions 18 inwardly; each tumblerrbeing turned from a starting p651- tion vith a number of steps or impulses, according to the particular combination of the look, so as to dispose the pins 12 on all the tumblers in' alignment with the channel 14 on the bolt.. If the bolt were in its advanced position it would then ordinarily be retracted under action of the spring 10, but, in accordance with the present invention, means are provided for preventing-this movement of the bolt. This means is here shown as comprising arock shaft 20 carried by the face plate 6 and fitted with a knurledhead20 by which it may be manually operated. The rock shaft extends at right angles to the bolt 8 on a plane above the latter and at a point adjacent the inner end thereof. Mounted on the rock shaft is a projection 21, the outer end of, which is formed with a. V- notch .22; thisprojection being operable on rotation of, the rock shaft to bear against the collar 9 on the, inner end oflthe bolt 8 and to advance the latter to its locking position in opposition to. the spring 10; the

notched sneer the projection being adapted to ride over and engage the edge of the collar 9 on the bolt, as shown in Figure 2. to hold the bolt in its advanced position. By this arrangementthe bolt will not be automatically retracted under the action of the spring. 10 whenvthe tumblers are disposed in their unlocking position;

but after the tumblers have been so dis-,

posed the operator may turn the rock shaft 20 to permit the bolt 8 to move to its retracted position.

The rock shaft 20 with theprojection 21 thus serves as an auxiliary means for holding the bolt in its advanced position when the tumblers are in their unlocking position; the spring pressed pins 12 serving to hold the bolt in its advanced position when the tumblers are in their locking position.

Means are provided for locking the tumbler mechanism against operation when the rock shaft 20 is turned to disengage the projection 21 from the bolt, so as to prevent the operation of the tumblers when the bolt is adapted to be retracted. This means is here shown as embodying a slide bar 23 which extends parallel with the face plate 6, and is slida'b'lysupported in a guideway 2e formed in the block 7. The slide bar 23 extends transversely across the push button stems 17 -and has its under side adapted to engage notches 25 formed in the upper faces of the push button stems 17, as shown in Figure 5, there being notches 26 on the under side of the bar 23 which are adapted to be positioned in register with the push button stems 17 to permit operation of the push buttons. 7

The slide bar 23 is formed with a slot 27 into which projects a pin 28 carried on the rock shaft 20, which pin engages one end of the slot when the rock shaft istuiined to the boltloclring position, and acts to dispose the slide bar 23 with the notches 26 aligned with the push button stems 17. It will thrs be seen that inoperating the rock shaft to hold the bolt against retraction, the

slide bar '23 will be positioned to permit operation of the tumbler mechanism when the bolt 18 advanced; A spring 29'eng'ages the slide bal -23 and is adapted to shift the slide bar when the rock shaft 20 is turned to release the bolt 8; the slide bar being moved under action of the spring 29 so as to dispose the wall portions 30 came under side'of the slide bar 23 in the notches 25 on the push button stems 17; thus locking the stems against movement. It will thus be seen that when the projection 21 has been moved to disengage'the bolt 8 so that the latter may be retracted under action of the spring 10, the tumbler mechanism cannot I be operated by reason of the push button stems 17 being locked by the slide bar 23, but when the bolt has been thrown to its advanced position, which is effected by turning" the rock shaft 20 to cause'the projection 21 to bear against the inner end of the bolt, the slidebar 23 will be disposed to free the push button stems as before described.

Means are provided for destroying the combination of the lock coincident with operating the rock shaft 20 to permit retraction of the bolt so that during the time the lock is unlocked and the bolt is in a re tracted position, the tumbler mechanism will not be disposed in the unlocking position. This means is here shown as embodying a tensioned yieldable arm 31 carried on the rock shaft 20, the outer end of which is formed with a finger 32 which is arranged to extend over and engagethe ratchet teeth on the periphery of one of the tumblers; the arm 31 being adjustable longitudinally of the shaft 20 so that the finger 32 may be positioned over any one of the tumblers. This arm and finger are adapted on rotation of the rock shaft to release the bolt 8, to exert a pull on the tumbler engaged by the finger 32 to eii'ect a partial revolution of the latter and thereby move the spring pressed pin on the tumbler out of alignment with the channel 1% on the bolt, it being assumed that the spring pressed pin has previously been disposed in alignment with the channel by operation of the push button.

It will be understood that after the tumblers have been operated by the push buttons to dispose the spring pressed pins in alignment with the channel 14, initial movement of the rock shaft 2t will serve to permit a slight retractive movement of the bolt 8 under action of the spring 10, which will dispose the spring pressed pin in a portion of the channel 1 f between adjacent annular channels 13, which will serve to hold the tumbler engaged by the finger 32 against rotation on the initial pull exerted by the arm 31, so that the arm 31 will bend and will be placed under such tension that, on continued movement of the rock shaft 20 and of the bolt 8, the tensioning of the arm 31 will serve to impart an impulse to the tumbler the moment the retractive movement of the bolt positions the annular channel opposite the spring pressed pin 12. It will thus be seen that on each retraction of the bolt 8, one of the tumblers will be turned out of its unlocking position and will be disposed in alocking position so that on advancing the bolt, it cannot again be retracted without restoring the displaced tumbler to its unlocking position.

It will be understood that the bolt 8 may be advanced to its locking position irrespective of the positions of the spring pressed pin 12 relative to the longitudinal channel i l of the bolt, as the annular channels are formed with inclined walls on one side thereof which are adapted to retract the spring pressed pins so that the latter may ride over one annular channel into an adjacent channel on advanced movement of the bolt. The other wall of the channel, however, is abrupt and will be engaged by the. spring pressed pin so as to hold the bolt against retraction.

The operation of the invention is apparent from the foregoing.

I claim- 1. In a lock of the character described, a bolt, a spring for retracting said bolt, a plurality of rotary tumblers, means for effecting engagement between said tumblers and bolt to hold the latter against retraction under action of said spring, said tumblers being adapted to be positioned to permit the retraction of said bolt, means for holding said bolt against retraction independent of said tumblers, operable to permit retraction of the bolt when the tumblers are positioned to release the bolt, and means operable by said last named means for permitting operation of the tumblers when the bolt is in an advanced position.

2. In a lock of the character described, a bolt, a spring for retracting said bolt, a plurality of rotary tumblers, means for effecting engagement between said tumblers and bolt to hold the latter against retraction under action of said spring, said tumblers being adapted to be positioned to permit the retraction of said bolt, means for holding said bolt against retraction independent of said tumblers, operable to permit retraction of the bolt when the tumblers are positioned to release the bolt, means operable by said last named means for permitting operation of the tumblers when the bolt is in an advanced position, and means for disposing a tumbler out of the bolt releasing position on retraction of the bolt.

3. In a lock of the character described, a bolt, spring means for retracting said bolt, a series of tumblers, cooperating means'on the bolt and tumblers for locking the bolt in an advanced position in opposition to said spring, operable on proper positioning of said tumblers to permit retraction of said bolt, supplemental means for holding the bolt in an advanced position, a slide bar, and means whereby said slide bar will inhibit operation of said tumblers when the supplemental bolt-holding means is disposed in inoperative position.

i. In a lock of the character described, a bolt, a spring for retracting said bolt, a series of rotary tumble-rs, cooperating means between said tumblers and bolt for locking the latter in an advanced position in opposition to said spring, a series of push buttons, means for operating said tumblers by said push buttons whereby said tumblers may be positioned to permit retraction of said bolt, supplemental means for holding the bolt against retraction, and means controlled by said supplemental means operable to locl: the push buttons against movement when said supplemental means is operated to permit retractive movement of said bolt.

in a lock of the character described, a bolt, a spring for retnacting said bolt, a series of rotary tumblers, cooperating means between said tumblers and bolt for locking the latter in an advanced position in opposition to said spring, a series of push buttons, means for operating said tumblers by said push buttons whereby said tumblers may be positioned to permit retraction of said bolt aslide bar, means whereby said slide bar Will serve toinhibit operation of said push buttons, operable to disengage said push buttons, supplemental means for holding the bolt in an advanced position, means operable by said supplemental means for positioning the slide bar to disengage the push buttons when the supplemental means is in its operative position, and means 10 operable to shift said slide bar to engage said push buttons When said supplemental bolt-holding means is disposed in an inoperative position.

ELERT A. HILL. 

